Apprehension, Love, and Tears
by writers.way
Summary: Severus Snape and Kitty Bane seem to have fate inself against them. Every time they get engaed, they break up. After having a bit too much to drink, they wind up eloping. Maybe all this time, fate wasn't against them, but they were actually fighting fate.


It was exactly a month until Kitty Bane and Severus Snape were scheduled to walk down the asile together, and they were having their worst fight ever. Jack, Severus's daughter, and Kitty's best friend Stella Nite could hear the argument from the downstairs living room of the house Kitty and Stella shared. They munched chocolate pie together in what seemed an all too normal dinnertime occurance lately.

Kitty Bane had spent most of her life as Severus's Best friend, not girlfriend, despite the fact that he secretly harboured a mad crush for her. She first met Severus-and Stella-when she was thirteen and started Hogwarts as a transfer from Drumstrang after her mother was sentenced to a life in Azkaban and Kitty was sent to live with her father, Fredrick Brown, in England. Kitty and Severus finally admitted their love for each other in their seventh year but soon after graduation Kitty and Stella were captured in a Death Eater round-up and were sentenced to Muggle exile. Now, many years later, Kitty had the Bane woman beauty. She was tall with an hourglass shape, raven black hair to her shoulders, yellowish eyes, and creamy skin. She also had two other factors Banes were famous for: temper and stubborness.

The shouting ended but the tense silence that followed was just as bad. Severus and Kitty entered a few minutes later. Severus looked angered and Kitty's normally fierce eyes were red and puffy.

"Let's go, Jack," Severus barked.

Jack quickly followed him out the door, out of that Muggle neighborhood, and out of Kitty's life forever.

Well, that's what Severus had thought.

Severus and Jack appaparated home and both stood in the dark living room for a few silent seconds.

"So, the wedding's off?" Jack asked conversationally.

Severus nodded, staring intently at a spot on the floor.

"I'm sorry for you Dad," Jack said. "Even though I didn't like Kitty that much."

Her father made no reply.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Severus watched her leave, thinking about the circumstances behind Jack's birth. Jack's mother, Roxanne Storm, had came to Severus one night in tears. Severus had only ment to comfort her, but that had turned into a bit more. Jack was born nine months later. Now, nineteen years later, Jack was Severus's spitting image. It made Severus realize that he would jhave made a pretty girl, and wish that Jack wore more baggy clothes.

In a month, she'll be gone, Severus thought. Jack was leaving for the next five years to travel the world, and when she came back, she would take over as Potions Master for Slughorn.

Just like her father. Except when Severus returned home he didn't have Fred Weasley waiting for him with an engagment ring. He had expected Kitty or at least Stella to greet him. Instead there were two aurors to arrest him. If Dumbledore hadn't intervened, Severus would have suffered the same fate as Kitty and Stella.

Severus sighed and put his head in his hands. This was the fourth time he and Kitty had gotten engaged, and the fourth time it had failed. He couldn't understand what went so wrong each time. Severus loved Kitty and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and he knew she felt the same about him, but it just never worked out. Maybe they were ment to be alone.

The fluttering of an owl's wings interupted Severus's thoughts. He looked up.

"Jack! Owl!" he called. Jack rushed downstairs leaping off the last three, grabbed the letter, and ran back up. A few minutes later she came back down camoflauge duffelbag over one shoulder.

"I'm going over to Niki's. She's having guy troubles," Jack told her father.

"Again? That girl has more boy trouble than London has boys."

"Be nice."

Severus grunted and Jack gave him on of her long probing stairs.

"Dad, are you sure your going to be okay?"

Severus sighed. "Yes, Jack. I will be fine. I'll owl you at the first sign of serious depression."

"I'm just wondering because you look like you could use a drink. There's this really neat Muggle pub not to far from here, the Five Aces. Nice crowd, cheap drinks, and good-looking bartenders."

"And how would you have come to aquire this bit of information?"

Jack smirked. "Good-bye, Dad. I'll see you in the morning."

"Stay out of the pubs!" Severus advised.

Then he decided not to take his own advise.

Kitty rolled over and placed a hand on Severus's chest.

"Morning, Severus," she grumbled. Then something clicked inside Kitty's head, she leaped up.

"Severus!" Kitty shouted.

"Kathryn, I'm trying to-" Then Severus leaped up, too. "Quick. What do you remember from last night?"

"Err..Crappy music. Meeting you at the Five Aces. Not much else." She ran her left hand through her hair and when she put it back down she caught a glimpse of a silver ring. A wedding ring.

"Severus..." she said weakly.

Severus looked down at his own hand and saw a similar band.

"We're married ?!" Kitty and Severus exclaimed in unison.


End file.
